Ordered this one online and when it arrived I realized I meant to order their standard seat harness. This one has a crotch strap that loops directly over the butt strap and into the buckle to make the leg loops. I'm worried that over time the direct contact between the two webbings is going to wear them down, does anyone have experience with that? also, is it less comfortable than the seat harness?

coffeeboy wrote:Ordered this one online and when it arrived I realized I meant to order their standard seat harness. This one has a crotch strap that loops directly over the butt strap and into the buckle to make the leg loops. I'm worried that over time the direct contact between the two webbings is going to wear them down, does anyone have experience with that? also, is it less comfortable than the seat harness?

Hi Coffeeboy,

I have one of these harnesses, which I keep as a spare/training harness. My primary caving harness is a now-obsolete Petzl harness which is basically the same design. For me, it is comfortable. I don't want to tell you how long I've been using my Petzl harness (it's old), but there's no issues with nylon-on-nylon rubbing. Once the harness is snugged down tight, there should be virtually no movement at the point where the butt strap and leg loops touch.

How comfortable you find it will be a personal thing. For me, this design is far less uncomfortable than the classic design with a waist loop and pair of independent leg loops. I know some cavers who like this Ultralight type harness better (often women, actually), and some who absolutely do not. If you can, borrow somebody's standard harness, practice rappelling and climbing, and then compare it with yours.

As I understand it, the 1" strap can be kept slightly loose as it is just meant to keep the lower strap from sliding up. I find this type of harness very comfortable. However, tightening the 1" strap causes it to be very uncomfortable.

Jugaad wrote:As I understand it, the 1" strap can be kept slightly loose as it is just meant to keep the lower strap from sliding up. I find this type of harness very comfortable. However, tightening the 1" strap causes it to be very uncomfortable.

I prefer it to be "snug" but not so tight it's starting to pull the butt strap up between the legs. Leaving it too loose can cause problems.